World Irrigation (XI): irrigation in the world, and aral now (part I)

摘要

In my paper World Irrigation-Problems and Prospects in Irrigation Engineering and Rural Planning No. 22 1992, overall review of irrigation development so far undertook in the world on the country basis was reviewed. Since then some 8 years have passed. In my paper World Irrigation V. Food and Agriculture and Irrigation in the 21st issued in the irrigation Engineering and Rural Planning No. 27 and 28 in 1994 and 1995, comprehensive reviews of past performance of irrigation development and future prospect of irrigation development and food production in the world were thoroughly studied. Now we are at the very end of 20th century and my last contribution to the series of World Irrigation being issued by the Japanese Society of Irrigation, Drainage and Reclamation Engineering, I would like to foresee the future related to irrigation and drainage and agriculture in the world once again. This paper consists of 3 chapters. In Chapter 1 global vision of food, agriculture and irrigation in the world willbe discussed, in Chapter 2, briefly explain the upto-date position of the Aral Sea, which was in trouble as introdused in World irrigation series IV Irrigation and Environment-Aral Sea Basin in Central Asia, in 1994. The chapter 3 irrigation and water management and agriculture in Asia will be discussed. The reason of choosing Asia is that irrigation areas of Asia amounts to more than 14 million ha which is about 60 percent of irrigated area in the world, amounting to some 26 million ha. Much of futureneed and potential of irrigation development and improvement exist in Asia, hence Asia is chosen. As the reader realizes, the Aral Sea is by far the biggest problem area where massive irrigation development resulted in big environmental problem, receiving world attention. What has happened on the Aral Sea, which was considered to disappear from the earth? It still exist, although the water area reduced to 14 percent of original area and much of the lake one dried up. In this chapter, therefore, brief review of the Aral Sea Problems and present position of the Sea is introduced.